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Dublin Jerome 66, Olentangy Liberty 62 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Greg Glasser, 02/01/22, 11:30PM EST

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Celtics take pride on defense and deliver solid overtime win over the Patriots

DUBLIN, Ohio -- With the district tournament draw less than a week away, Tuesday's showdown between two of the hottest OCC teams in Olentangy Liberty and Dublin Jerome came down to the wire, with the Celtics edging out the Patriots in a thrilling 66-62 overtime win.

Despite a tightly contested first half, Liberty had the Celtics on the ropes after the third quarter, thanks in part to a dominating period from Patriots senior guard Trey Majidzadeh. Momentum was firmly in the Patriots direction when Majidzadeh found Matt Wilson in the corner for a three pointer on the final Liberty possession of the period, which gave the Patriots a nine point lead headed into the fourth. 

In only took a minute for momentum to swing back in Jerome's favor. Junior Luke Kuhlman hit a corner three and then on the next possession, a Lachlan MacDonald steal then feed to Kuhlman in transition led to a monster one-handed slam from the 6-foot-5 forward. MacDonald's steal was the first of five straight turnovers he would then force Liberty to make, as the Celtics got within two with under three minutes to play.

MacDonald again came up big on a defensive rebound, which led to an immediate deep outlet pass to Kuhlman, who was fouled and made both his free throws to tie the game with under a minute left.

The Celtics once again used a tightly pressed defense in the final 41 seconds, which made the Patriots call a timeout on three separate occasions and ultimately forced a difficult three point attempt that went wide of the hoop, sending the game into overtime.

Jerome took immediate command of the bonus period and pushed their lead to seven with a minute to go, but saw a relentless effort from Majidzadeh, who scored five straight points. Along with missed Celtic free throws, the Patriots were within two. 

Yet the Jerome defense came through one final time, forcing a team turnover that landed in the hands of MacDonald, his third steal of the game, as he would appropriately seal the deal at the free throw line to cap an exciting, but exhausting 66-62 victory.

It was a total team effort on both ends of the floor, but especially on the defensive side that gave coach Richie Beard and his team a third straight victory. The Celtics did a fantastic job of clogging and reading passing lanes, which limited easy look opportunities for the Patriots. A big factor was limiting Liberty star wing Cooper Davis, fresh off a 30 point outing on Saturday, to just 12 points and no made field goals in the second half.

"We had to make sure there was no air space for Cooper," MacDonald said, whose defensive efforts in the second half undoubtedly sparked Jerome's double-digit comeback. "It's just a matter of playing my hardest every play, knowing my teammates are on defense right there with me."

MacDonald's defensive efforts were joined by the likes of players such as Sasha Stavroff and CC Ezirim, who both did an excellent job of plugging passing lanes and deflecting passes that led to turnovers. Stavroff was effective offensively driving the ball and finishing around the rim, as he finished with 9 points. Ezirim, who may be one of the best players in the area to come off the bench, finished with eight points and four rebounds.

MacDonald complemented his defensive performance by scoring a co-team high 16 points, alongside Kuhlman. The junior duo hit a combined five three pointers and three assists. 

The Celtics also had to play the final half of the fourth quarter and entire overtime with their lead guard junior Ryan Nutter, who appeared to hit his head during a loose ball rebound. Nutter would not return, but finished with nine points, three rebounds and two assists. It appeared Nutter was ultimately held out for cautionary reasons as he indicated after the game he should be available for Jerome's next contest. Senior Jack Pinney stepped up in Nutter's absence to help MacDonald with pressuring the Liberty guards and also scored three points and had two assists.

Liberty was led by the marvelous play of Majidzadeh, who finished with 24 points and three assists. Junior Alex Okuley added 12 points and was difficult to keep off the glass, as he grabbed five rebounds. No other player for the Patriots scored more than five points.

The Patriots (11-8, 5-2) still hold a lead in the OCC Central, but have the always difficult challenge awaiting in conference opponent Hilliard Bradley this Friday. 

Jerome (13-4, 7-0) looks to stay undefeated in the OCC Cardinal as they host Olentangy Berlin on Friday.

For more on Tuesday's top performers, see the Prospect Scouting Report below.

Lachlan MacDonald (6'1 HG / Dublin Jerome / 2023) Simply put, the Celtics would not have pulled out the win without MacDonald's heroic two-way efforts on Tuesday. He's skilled quite well offensively, which we'll touch on in a second, but it's his commitment to defense that makes MacDonald one of the top guards in the area in the 2023 class. He recorded three steals, but forced twice as many turnovers. Excuse the pun, but Lachlan literally locks down his opponents as he tries to force guards in uncomfortable situations and does a great job of being physical, but without fouling. He's an excellent shooter, evident by his three triples (none bigger than one in the fourth quarter) and showed confidence at the free throw line that clinched victory. MacDonald also sees the floor well and does a strong job of finding teammates in transition and in positions to score. The junior is a selfless leader that has a future playing scholarship basketball in two years. We love the character and tenacity he brings to the Celtics and expect him to be a driving force come postseason.

Luke Kuhlman (6'5 SF / Dublin Jerome / 2023) The junior forward may be the Celtics' most versatile player when you factor in his skill set and his size. Kuhlman hit two crucial three pointers in the second half, while also presenting matchup problems against Liberty as he did a good job of drawing contact under the glass and converting at the line. He showed off some serious athleticism when in transition he took several dribbles and slammed a one-handed dunk through multiple Patriot defenders. On brand with his team, Kuhlman is a quality defender that uses his size well. The more we view Kuhlman, the more impressed we become with his game as he continues to evolve as a quality prospect in the 2023 class.

Trey Majidzadeh (6'1 PG / Olentangy Liberty / 2022) Perhaps one of the most underrated guards in Central Ohio, Majidzadeh gave every ounce of energy he had as he fought hard for his 24 points. The senior guard is tough, not only in physical stature, but mentally as well as he played every minute until he fouled out in overtime. Majidzadeh has crafty handles, does an excellent job of penetrating the defense and is a masterful finisher around the rim using both hands. He also showed off an ability to shoot from deep and mid-range, connecting on two triples and a couple other shots from 15 feet out. There was no quit in Majidzadeh Tuesday, even when down by seven points in overtime, as he pulled off five quick points in the final minute. Division III programs that value this type of skill and toughness should make it a priority to recruit him.

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